![Page 1: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire succession in the Sierra Nevada
Martin G. Raphael, Daniel A. Airola, Gary A. Falxa, Roger D. Harris, and Peter A. Stine
![Page 2: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
1960 - The Donner Fire burned ~18,000 ha on the eastern Sierra
Nevada
![Page 3: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
1965 – two 8.5-ha permanentplots established
![Page 4: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Burned Plot
Unburned Plot
![Page 5: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Objectives
Examine and contrast changes in vegetation over ~50-yr time series
Estimate bird abundance and diversity and compare results on burned and unburned plots over 50-yr
Relate changes in bird community to changes in vegetation
![Page 6: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Monitoring timeline
Donner
fire
1966-68
1975-79
1981-85
2010-14
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
![Page 7: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Burned plot has changed dramatically over time
(no management or harvest)
1965 2012
![Page 8: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Field equipment (and people) have changed too
1965 2012
![Page 9: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Density of Snags(number > 38 cm/ha)
1968 1975 1983 20120
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
BurnedUnburned
![Page 10: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Percent Cover, Shrubs(n = 1170 points)
1975 1983 20110
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
BurnedUnburned
![Page 11: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Herbs & Grasses(% cover, n = 1170 points)
1975 1983 20110
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
BurnedUnburned
![Page 12: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Basal Area of Conifers(m2/ha)
1975 1983 20110
10
20
30
40
50
60
1975 1983 20110
10
20
30
40
50
60
Other
White fir
Yellow pine
Burned Unburned
![Page 13: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Conifer Canopy Cover(%, n = 1170)
Burned Unburned0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
19752011
![Page 14: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Total Bird Territories
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 20200
10
20
30
40
50UnburnedBurned
![Page 15: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Species Richness
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 20200
5
10
15
20
25
30
Un-burned
![Page 16: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Foraging guilds
Wood excavating (woodpeckers) Bark gleaning (nuthatches, brown
creeper) Flycatching (nighthawk, flycatchers) Canopy foliage searching (jays,
chickadees, kinglets, vireos, warblers) Ground/brush searching (quail,
dove, hummingbirds, bluebird, solitaire, thrush, robin, towhee, juncos, finches, sparrows)
![Page 17: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Wood Excavating
![Page 18: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Bark gleaning
![Page 19: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Flycatching
![Page 20: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Canopy Foliage Searching
![Page 21: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Ground/brush Searching
![Page 22: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
Percent Similarity(Ruzicka’s Index)
1966-68
1975-79
1981-85
2010-14
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Burned vs Unburned
Burned Unburned0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1966-68 vs 2010-14
![Page 23: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
Major Changes in Species Abundance
IncreasedSpecies 1960s 2010s
Hermit warbler
Absent Common
Pileated woodpecker
Common raven
Osprey
Northern goshawk
Absent Rare
Clark’s nutcracker
Black-throated gray warbler
Green-tailed towhee
DecreasedSpecies 1960s 2010s
Mountain bluebird
Common Absent
Brewer’s sparrow
Cooper’s hawk
Sooty grouse Moderate Absent
House wren
Pygmy nuthatch
American kestrel
Lazuli bunting
Rare Absent
Lewis’ woodpecker
![Page 24: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
Temperature has increased over time
![Page 25: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
Summary
Vegetation is still changing, 50 years after fire on the burned plot, but also on the unburned plot
Bird community structure (guilds and species represented) has changed dramatically on the burned plot in response to vegetation change
The bird community on the unburned plot has also changed, to a smaller degree
Overall species richness has been comparable on plots over time
Bird abundance (# territories) has increased by roughly 50% on both plots
Some bird population changes could be due to climate change
![Page 26: Breeding birds during 50 years of post-fire s uccession in the Sierra Nevada](https://reader036.vdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062321/5681397c550346895da10e2b/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
Thanks to
Sagehen Creek Field Station for accommodation and logistics
Station managers Jeff Brown and Faerthen Felix for help and advice
Carl and Jane Bock for initiating this work and suggesting our recent follow-up surveys
Meryl Sundove and Joe Batres for field assistance
Truckee Ranger District for protecting plots Pacific Northwest and Pacific Southwest
Research Stations for funding